CHAPTER XV - 1898—1900: Death of Mr Gladstone.—Speech on the Rating of Clergymen.—Letters.—Romanes Lecture.—War. Consultation's Committee.—Knighthood

Summary

On May 19th a great light went out. Mr Gladstone died at Hawarden in his 89th year. The House adjourned that day in respect to his memory. The next day a motion was passed for a public funeral and a monument in Westminster Abbey.

To His Wife.

“Oxford and Cambridge Club,

May 28th, 1898.

…Behold! I enclose certain cards and also an invitation from the X.'s for Monday, when we are engaged to dine with the Priestleys: so I have written (not on Club paper but on your's and in a ladylike hand) and declined the X.'s. Don't you bless me?

Went to Westminster Hall: very impressive in its simplicity: stayed over an hour, watching the crowd. Coming back I was stopped by the Marquis of—in a pot hat and smoking a cigar, who asked me about it, and remarked that he thought Lord Salisbury had said the right thing about ‘the great Christian Man’—‘because, if he had said more, it would have looked like humbug.’ Simple, but true and sound criticism. I thought it very characteristic of the better side of the English of his class.”

On June 6th the second reading of the Finance Bill came up for discussion in the House, and Jebb spoke earnestly of the serious injustice suffered by the clergy under the present system of rating, considering the great fall in the value of tithe.